The Washington Commanders enjoyed one of the deepest backfields of any team this season. However, one of those running backs — Austin Ekeler — is out for an extended period of time after going down in Week 12 vs. the Dallas Cowboys.
What’s the latest on Ekeler and his potential return to play?
What Is Austin Ekeler’s Injury?
In Week 12, Ekeler suffered his second concussion of the season in the Commanders’ loss to the Cowboys. He took a major hit while returning a kick and was subsequently knocked out of the game.
Ekeler’s first concussion came back in Week 3. He departed after just 13 snaps in Washington’s Monday night win over the Cincinnati Bengals. On a short week, he was unable to get cleared for Week 4, but he returned after that and had not missed a game since.
But this being his second concussion of the year, it’s unsurprising to see the team exercise more caution.
When Will Ekeler Return From Injury?
Every concussion is different, and return-to-play timelines are trickier after multiple head injuries over a short period of time. Washington placed Ekeler on injured reserve (IR) the day before their Week 13 game, guaranteeing a four-game absence.
The Commanders also have a Week 14 bye, which extends Ekeler’s absence an extra week. That means the earliest we could see him again is in Washington’s Week 18 regular-season finale against the Cowboys.
During the Week 14 bye, Ekeler noted that he was suffering from memory loss and neck pain after his injury. Given the severity of the symptoms, it would seem unlikely that he could return in the minimum period required. The prudent course of action could be to hold him out until 2025 to allow more complete healing.
How Will Ekeler’s Absence Impact the Commanders?
At full strength, the Commanders had a strong one-two punch with Brian Robinson Jr. and Ekeler. With Ekeler out, veteran journeyman Jeremy McNichols slides into the RB2 role. While McNichols seems unlikely to see as much work as Ekeler, he will operate as the primary passing-down back.
The Week 13 blowout win over the Tennessee Titans was probably not the best indicator of the expected backfield split moving forward. Washington raced out to a 21-0 lead after the first quarter en route to a 42-19 win, making the majority of the game garbage time.
The most important takeaway is that Robinson appears to be the clear goal-line back, as he took four of the five carries inside the 5-yard line. And while Chris Rodriguez Jr. actually outsnapped McNichols, the vast majority of those snaps were during garbage time, which should make the latter the primary handcuff to roster.
It’s worth noting that, while not listed on the injury report, Robinson has been banged up over the past few weeks. In fact, injuries limited him to just 12 snaps against Dallas. So while McNichols is likely nothing more than an RB3 desperation play with Robinson in the lineup, it’s important for fantasy football managers to ensure they have the proper handcuff in place for the playoffs.
